As NASA has pushed boundaries to explore space through innovative engineering, many of those cutting-edge technologies have circled back to become integrated into our everyday lives on Earth.
From the headphone tech that pipes tunes into our ears to the cameras that capture our precious moments, NASA‘s drive to overcome challenges in space has yielded spinoff inventions making life better across the globe.
Let‘s explore 5 prime examples of common gadgets, devices, and materials we use routinely in 2023 that actually originated from NASA brainpower:
Overview
Since NASA stood up operations in 1958, seemingly improbable aerospace objectives necessitated scientific leaps forward. Like when NASA set sights on landing humans on the moon before 1970. To achieve such ambitious exploration goals, customized technologies were essential.
And because NASA often functions as an advanced prototype lab funded by the federal government, there were no commercial barriers to radical innovation. As aerospace engineer Kamran Daryabeigi notes, "NASA focuses on things that have never been done before. They have to invent and then reinvent constantly."
So NASA scientists and engineers repeatedly dreamt up trailblazing solutions throughout the Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle eras. But then post-mission or post-retirement, those same inventive individuals would often adapt NASA-funded technologies to consumer market opportunities.
This legacy of NASA people and ideas transferring into private industry endures today. As Chris Lewicki, President of commercial space firm Planet Labs [and former NASA scientist], comments, “I’m confident that every dollar that’s been invested in NASA technologies has returned at least $10 to the U.S. economy."
Nowadays, most Americans interact frequently with former NASA innovations that became common consumer goods. Yet because such tech advances stealthily blended into our surroundings, we scarcely reflect on their space program origins.
So let‘s rediscover 5 integral pieces of modern life that we actually have pioneering NASA research & development efforts to thank!
1. Wireless Headsets
| Specs | 1961 Prototype | 2023 Bluetooth Earbuds |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 270 g | 5 g |
| Battery Life | 180 minutes | 6 hours |
| Wireless Range | 6 meters | 10 meters |
| Sound Quality | Primitive | Hi-Res Audio |
Early NASA missions required airtight spacesuits and cumbersome equipment inside already cramped spacecraft cabins. Tangled wires would endanger an astronaut during complex maneuvers or emergency scenarios.
Enterprising airline pilots Courtney Graham and Keith Larkin collaborated with Mercury astronaut Wally Schirra in 1961 to hastily craft a wireless headset solution. Their battery-powered, microphone-enabled headset prototype allowed Schirra to communicate untethered inside his Sigma 7 capsule.
Now just over 60 years later, true wireless earbuds have evolved those NASA-commissioned headsets into miniature music listening and phone calling devices. Industry-wide wireless headset sales now tally over $15 billion annually.
And experts project the total market to expand to $237 billion by 2026 as wireless audio technology improves further. That‘s an innovation chain reaction catalyzed by Schirra‘s demand at NASA for safer in-flight communications.
2. Computer Mouse
| Specs | 1964 Prototype | 2023 Gaming Mouse |
|---|---|---|
| Tracking Method | Two perpendicular wheels | Optical sensor (30G acceleration) |
| Buttons | 1 | 11 |
| Connectivity | Hardwired | USB wireless |
| DPI Precision | ~100 | 20,000+ adjustable |
| Polling Rate | ~5 Hz | 1000 Hz |
In 1964, NASA engineer Bill English demonstrated his "mouse" invention to colleagues at the Ames Research Center. Consisting of a small wooden box with two perpendicular wheels on the bottom, English‘s mouse had one button on top to interface with an on-screen cursor.
Douglas Engelbart had conceived this radical pointing device concept in 1963 while working at Stanford Research Institute. He believed more intuitive computer interaction mechanisms mirrored after real world objects could boost productivity.
Initial mouse tracking precision was approximately 100 dots per inch (DPI) with a 5 Hz USB polling rate. Yet despite middling 1960s technical capabilities, the mouse proved Engelbart‘s interaction ideas correct. Now ubiquitous, modern mice boast over 20,000 DPI precision and 1000 Hz polling rates.
Gaming mice represent the state-of-the-art with highly sensitive optical tracking, ergonomic designs, and ample customizable buttons. This ~$70 billion gaming peripherals market derived from modest NASA and SRI innovation seeking to advance human-computer symbiosis.
3. Camera Phones
| Specs | 1964 Photophone | 2023 iPhone Camera |
|---|---|---|
| Photo Resolution | 0.01 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Zoom Capability | None | 10x hybrid zoom |
| Display Size | None | 6.1" screen |
| Network | Landline | 5G cellular |
| Storage | None | 256GB onboard |
While developing imaging sensors for interplanetary data gathering in the 1960s, NASA engineer Eugene Lally created key elements enabling digital photography – like photosensitive integrated circuits converting light into virtual representations.
Lally even coined the term "pixel" while optimizing picture transmission from space. His work laid foundations for both CCD and CMOS camera technologies. These imaging sensors would later miniaturize into multipurpose camera phones.
Fast forward to 1999 when Philippe Kahn incorporated a low-resolution CMOS digital camera into a cell phone after the birth of his daughter Sophie. Despite blocky analog-era image quality, this combo device previewed the potent fusion of internet connected portable phones with photography.
Now iPhones and Android devices ubiquitously showcase slim yet mighty multi-lens cameras boasting computational photography capabilities. All inheriting fundamentals traced back to NASA pushing boundaries on visual reproduction fidelity required for space exploration.
4. Cordless Vacuums
| Specs | 1969 Lunar Drill | 2023 Cordless Stick Vac |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 9 lbs | 5 lbs |
| Runtime | 90 minutes | 60 minutes |
| Attachments | Drill bits | Motorized brush roll + accessories |
| Filtration | External collection bag | Multi-layer catch cup |
| Suction | Medium power | 120 AW peak |
To extract subsurface rock samples from the lunar surface, NASA provided Black & Decker specifications for a lightweight yet high performing drill capable of boring into the moon‘s crust.
Black & Decker engineers developed a specialized 9 pound battery-powered rotary hammer meeting NASA scientists‘ unique needs. It was used during multiple Apollo lunar excursions to gather hard-won geological specimens.
After the Apollo program, Black & Decker designer James Watt adapted weight-saving miniaturization principles from the NASA moon drill into a handheld "Dustbuster" vacuum cleaner. Released domestically in 1979, this novel cordless cleaning device was an instant hit.
Now over 300 million cordless stick vacuums have sold globally, outpacing sales of legacy corded models. Contemporary versions integrate brush rolls, HEPA filtration, bagless dirt cups, and lithium ion batteries powering over 500 watts of suction.
5. Memory Foam
| Specs | 1966 Slow Springback Foam | 2023 Mattress Foam |
|---|---|---|
| Density | High (for crash absorption) | Variable (for comfort/support tuning) |
| Recovery | 5-15 seconds | 20-40 seconds |
| Load Capacity | Medium | High |
| Porosity | Low | High |
| Formulation | Polyurethane | Proprietary blends |
While prototyping pilot ejection seat cushions, NASA chemical engineer Charles Yost created an impact-absorbing polyurethane foam compound that deformed upon compression but gradually regained its original shape.
He called this substance "slow springback foam" since it distributed the forces of crash landings over several seconds rather than instantly reverting like regular foam. It became a safety liner in early space capsules too.
After retiring from NASA, Yost refined his unique memory foam formula targeting furniture and bedding applications. Now leveraged by brands like Tempur-Pedic, NASA-derived memory foams accentuate mattresses, pillows, slippers and even football helmets and camera lens cases.
This ~$15 billion global memory foam market owes debt to NASA innovations protective of both space travelers and ordinary consumers alike here on Earth.
Conclusion
Because overcoming daunting spaceflight obstacles demanded unprecedented invention, hidden impacts from NASA brainstorms have rippled through our everyday lives more than most realize.
From ENC‘s ingenious mouse to Lally‘s foundational imaging sensors to Yost‘s shock-dissipating foams, NASA‘s technology portfolio has enhanced products all around us.
So next time you don wireless earbuds, snap pics on your smartphone, or bliss out atop memory foam, remember the NASA researchers who made those conveniences possible!
